The present invention relates to portable hand-operated mechanical apparatus for making and marking a wagering selection on a wager card and, more particularly, to such apparatus for making a random wagering selection and printing it on a lotto card.
Lotto is a game of chance played with numbered counters selected by lot or other markers selected by lot to be placed upon the corresponding numbers on the players' boards-- e.g., bingo. More generally, and as used in the Lottery game sponsored by the State of New York, the player's card contains, for each game, an array or matrix of numbers (48 in Lotto 48) arranged in rows and columns (6.times.8 in Lotto 48). To enable wagers who are looking for particular numbers to quickly locate those numbers on a card, the numbers for a given game are always in numerically ascending sequence in a given row, with successive columns having successively higher numbers. Thus any design or pattern which is used to make the selections will determine the numbers selected. The selected numbers are indicated by marking them on the card--e.g., inking out each selected number. Each game requires the selection of a plurality of numbers, typically 6. Each card contains ten separate "games", and the card may be validated for 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 games depending upon the fee paid. Thus a player intending to play the entire card of 10 games must make and mark 60 selections of numbers, a time-consuming process at the very best.
Adding to the time consumed in making the wagering selection are the propensities of the wagerers. "Hunch" wagerers prefer to play favorite numbers or hunches and must locate in each game their favorite number, their second favorite number, etc., until the six favorite numbers have been located and marked. The present invention is not directed to these wagerers. At the opposite end of the spectrum from these "hunch" wagerers, are the "random" wagerers who prefer to ride the winds of chance and allow, for example, a random design to determine the selected numbers in each game. Of course, even such "random" bettors are aware that no such desired selection is truly random--for example, an individual bettor may have an unconscious preference for numbers on the periphery of the game, in a corner thereof, or in the center thereof. Further, as he marks his selections upon the card, he is viewing the numbers and there is the possibility of particular numbers unconsciously affecting his pattern selection one way or another. While such a "random" wagerer typically marks a game faster than the "hunch" wagerer, attempts to maintain random designs, preferably different random designs, over up to 10 games per card and possibly many cards at a given time, can make the random betting operation even more time-consuming. It is to these "random" bettors that the present invention is directed.
From the point of view of the bettor, the time spent making the selections and placing his wager are part of the betting process and possibly one of the more enjoyable aspects. On the other hand, from the point of view of the bet-taking operator--which may be a news stand on the street, a coffee shop, a drug store or a cashier at just about any establishment--a speed up in the bet-placing operation means increased turnover and increased business. Even though multiple cards may be handed out for marking at a given time, in the usual situation where the bet-taking operation has only a very limited space for the wagerers to congregate and mark their cards, space may be the limiting factor and a faster bet selection and marking process is the equivalent of an increase in the available space. The presence of a particularly large prize or "pot" can result in customer lines of such a magnitude that it may take a half hour or more to place a bet, thus discouraging potential wagerers.
Another problem encountered by the bet-taking operator is that frequently the selected numbers are not marked sufficiently clearly by the wagerer to enable the electronic equipment to detect the marking and hence the number selection. In that case the card must be returned to the user for re-marking, thus presenting a further bottleneck in the bet-taking operation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanical apparatus for making a random wagering selection.
Another object is to provide such apparatus which is convenient, easy and rapid to use.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such apparatus which generates a substantially random pattern for each game.
It is also an object to provide such apparatus which marks the wagering sheet clearly and accurately according to the generated pattern.
It is another object to provide such apparatus which enables the "random" wagerer to clearly and accurately place truly random wagers in a minimum of time.
It is a further object to provide such apparatus which may be hand-operated, compact, portable and safe to carry.